In the field of elastic laminate garment panels for disposable or limited use garments, desirable qualities include light weight, good skin feel (hand) and exterior abrasion resistance, good flexibility and bond strength. Generally such elastic laminates may be made with a first facing of good hand to contact the skin of the wearer in a non-irritating manner. A second, exterior, facing is used for the exterior side of the garment facing away from the skin of the wearer. Between the two facings is applied an adhesive and strands or webs of elastic material.
However a first problem occurs with such elastic laminates in getting the facings to adhere to each other, and the tensioned elastics, without debonding. This can especially be problematic when the garment is wet, e.g. in swim pants which are subject to total immersion. A second problem occurs aesthetically when, as more adhesive is added to construct the laminate, the heavier, and stiffer, or less flexible, the material becomes. Standard methodology generally requires spraying an entire layer of adhesive down, which leads to a loss of aesthetic cloth-like qualities. Also, as more steps or materials are put into making a fabric (such as adhesive spraying) the more equipment and material is required, leading to a loss of economy.
Hot melt applied adhesives may require the use of adhesives applied in a liquid state and may have problems including increased energy consumption, increased thickness, process control and change time, in addition to the above-stated problems. Meltbonding of the facings may require that the facing webs or the elastic strands or webs, or both, of thermoplastic material be brought at least partially to their melting point in order to bond. These meltbonding techniques may share the same heat-associated problems as hot melt applications and may further suffer cosmetic and lamination strength problems as well as loss of cloth like feel.
Thus there is need to provide economical, light weight, easily manufactured nonwoven laminates having desirable aesthetic qualities.